1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to product cartons and, more particularly, to a carton that transports, displays, and supports a product.
2. Description of the Related Art
For many products, a carton is used to display and support a product that has been shipped from the point of manufacture to the destination where it will be sold. This is especially true of many smaller products that are suitable for display, but not self supporting, in a relatively large quantity within a single carton. Typically, when the carton arrives at the sales destination, the products are either already in the carton or are placed in the carton on a shelf for selection and purchase by a consumer.
As is known, there are a number of problems that are inherent in the display of some products in this particular manner. This is especially true of gift bags and the like which are preferably displayed in a relatively vertical orientation but are sufficiently thin and flexible so as not to be self-supporting. In the case of gift bags, it is not uncommon for them to be displayed by hanging them by their handles on pegs.
While hanging gift bags by their handles on pegs serves to display the gift bags in a manner where they can be seen by the consumer, there are several problems which are presented. First, the layout of the store may be such that it may not be desirable to utilize the pegs for display of gift bags. Second, the display of gift bags on pegs makes it difficult for the consumer to remove a desired one of them from the free end of the peg. Third, the gift bags may be earmarked for display on a shelf that will make it impossible to place them on a peg. Fourth, the gift bags cannot simply be placed in a carton because there is nothing to maintain them in any kind of organized manner within the carton. As bags are removed from the carton, the gift bags have a tendency to fall forward out of the display or otherwise become unsightly as they slip down into the carton due to the absence of self support.
For all of these and other reasons, there has been a need for a product display and support carton that can serve to properly display any product that is not self-supporting such as the previously mentioned gift bags.